Faisal Anwar (b.1970)

[Formal Training and Education]

2004 Post-graduate certificate, Interactive Art and Entertainment Program, The Canadian Film Center's Habitat New Media Lab, , Canada 2001 Courses towards a master’s degree in New Media, Academy of Art College, San Francisco 1996 Bachelors degree in Graphic Design, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan

Residencies 2014 International Artist in Residence, Parramatta Artist Studios, Sydney, Australia 2013 Artist in Residence program, e|Galley UTM (University of Toronto Mississauga) 2012 Roots and BranchesI Artists in the community- Working in collaboration with AGM (Art Gallery of Mississauga ) and Mississauga City Library on the project MyCityStories. 2011 4 week mentoring residency at Livid Inc. San Jose, for the project 'Titra' 2008 BNMI Self Directed Residency, Banff New Media Institute, Banff Center,for the project 'Odd Spaces' 2007 Luminal Screen Co-Production, Banff New Media Institute, participant in a 4week co-production residency for the project “Into it!” 2006 Almost Perfect Lab, Banff New Media Institute, Banff Centre - Participant in the co- production workshop. 2004 Interactive Project Lab , a 6-week business development workshop at CFC Media Lab

Research 2011 - 2013 +City Development Funded by SSHRC Insight Development grant, +City developed and launched a beta archiving and analytical tool. 2005 - 07 Interactive educational and learning media/tools for universal kids. This research was part of the CulturAll program- the project ‘Into it!’ was selected under the Artist as Innovators category, for research for kids with multiple disabilities. (CFC Media Lab, Banff Centre, University of Toronto’s Adaptive Technology)

[ Independent work]

Tracing Cities 1: Karachi, 2018 A solo exhibition at Canvas Gallery Karachi

En(Light, ) 2017 A large-scale outdoor sculpture, crafted out of laser-cut corten, galvanized powder coated mild steel sheets, with dynamically-controlled 10,000 LED lighting. En(light) is placed at Telenor Pakistan’s head office in Islamabad.

I see my streets (Oct 22 -Nov 5, 2017) Presented at the 1st Karachi Biennale at the Sadequain Art Gallery, Frere Hall. I see my streets is a new media installation driven by youth and community participation.

Canada Wish 150, 2017 Presented with TakingITGlobal on Canada’s 150th anniversary. A projection based interactive installation created with the collected wishes from across the country. The wishes were submitted through online submissions on the Explore150 platform, using social media hashtags. Audience can engaging with the projections in realtime during the exhibits.

Charbagh, 2016 Presented on the facade of the Aga Khan Museum Toronto and also inside the , as part of Nuit Blanche 2016. Curated by Zulifkar Hirji. is a new media installation working with open data and investigate today’s sociopolitical territories.

Up in the Sky High, 2015 -16 Presented at Artscape Wychwood Barns, Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, curated by Che Kothari. Large clusters of white eco-friendly balloons are suspended in the space with photo memories, from the archives of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, hanging below, allowing viewers to navigate through the still memories and the delicate sounds of movement.

TweetGarden, 2013 - 2015 Presented at Art gallery of Mississauga (Sep, 2014 to Jan,2015), No Vacancy, Burlington(Sep, 2014), Royal Museum (May to July, 2013), Defining Moments National Project, Canada, (Jan to March, 2013) and Scotiabank Nuit Blanche (2013) Tweetgarden is a real-time, interactive installation that engages the spaces of human interaction in public and private environments. This project is a contemporary hybrid Wed/Social Art conceived with tweeter narrative and exploring networks between multiple locations and time-zones.

Odd Spaces, 2008 - 2010 Site- specific, real-time video installation based on locative media and public interventions. Presented at Socia Bank Nuit Blanche, Toronto, partners with Vasl artists' collective, Pakistan, CodeLive, Cultural Olympiad in Vancouver, co presented by the Canadian film center in partners with Vasl artists' collective, Pakistan and Britto arts collective, Bangladesh. (2010). Also presented at the exhibition ‘Six Degrees of Separation: Chaos, Congruence & Collaboration’ 2008, curated by; KHOJ, International Artists' Association in Delhi, India, VASL artists' collective, Pakistan , THEERTHA Arts Collective in Sri Lanka, BRITTO Arts Trust in Bangladesh and SUTRA Arts’ Trust in Nepal.

City Narratives/ MyCityStories (formerly known as 360EXtEndEd), 2009 - on going Web based project with a real-time, site-specific installation at the Toronto City Hall presented as part of City of Toronto 175th Anniversary celebration at the Nathan Phillips Square. It is a community based, multi- platform project, which explores a city's evolution. The website enables community based interaction about the city you live in and share stories and videos

G.o.t.c.h.a [Gathering Ordinary Telephotos and Capturing Hidden Attitudes], 2006 A real-time cell phone based installation at Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2006 presented in collaboration with SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Center)

[ Selected Collaborative work]

+City, 2011 - 2013 Funded by SSHRC Insight Development grant, +City is an advanced creative/artistic and analytical application that tracks, visualize and archive content generated via social media platforms. Co-conceived and created with Siobhan O’Flynn. Presented a real-time interactive installation at Nuit-Blanche Toronto in partners with Second City - 2012

STIR , 2009 A Multimedia performance, presented at MIST theater, U of T Mississauga Campus with Blackwood gallery Collaboration with Castellanos brothers and Sampradaya Dance Company

XIBALBA , 2008 Interactive Installation at the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, Toronto 2008. Co-conceived with Ulysses Castellanos. XIBALBA is an interactive sculpture/installation consisting of two cubic structures that glows and pulsate in increasing increments depending on the viewer’s proximity to each structure.

Safe Mapping AKA They Are Watching!, 2008 A collaborative Real-time webcam stream and performance presented in partnership with Loading Open Lab in Bucharest, Romania. Collaborating artists: Theo Pelmus (Ottawa), Ulysses Castellanos (Toronto), Faisal Anwar (Toronto) and Loading Open LAB (Romania)

Zero Cluster: Deportation, 2007 - 2009 A site specific film and video installation presented at the AGO Youth Festival (Toronto) 2009, MAI (Montreal) 2007, Hot& Spice festival at Harborfront (Toronto)2007, International Performing Arts Festival (Lahore, Pakistan) 2007. In collaboration with Toronto based collective of musicians, LAL. A multi-arts installation using hybrid technologies, live music performance and real-time video/film with multi-layer projection experience.

Double Date, 2006 - 2007 An interdisciplinary sight, sound, performance project, based on the tradition of tableaux vivant directed by artist Tazeen Qayyum. Performed at AKA Gallery Saskatoon (2006 ) and Lennox Contemporary Gallery Toronto(2007) Presented by SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Center), Toronto and AKA Gallery, Saskatoon.

Diplomatic Immunities, 2005 - 2008 An interactive performance directed by Darren O’Donnell, produced by Mammalian Diving Reflex. Performed at Buddies in Bad Times theater 2007, Playright festival, Calgery, 2006, International Performing Arts Festival, Lahore, Pakistan 2007. A multimedia interactive ensemble piece, presenting encounters between a company of research artists and the inhabitants of a city.

Into it!, 2004 - 2005 A 3-Dimensional Interactive story/game Installation for kids with multiple disabilities and otherwise providing an immersive experience from animals’ perspective. Prototypes created with the support of CFC media Lab, Toronto and Banff New Media Center. Presented at Lennox Contemporary, Gallery, Toronto . Co-founded and co-conceived with artist Deborah Hessen

[Independent Short Films and Videos]

‘Walking Spirits’, 2009, duration; 5min. Screened at: Ctrl+ Alt + Del, 2009 curated by Amit Kumar Jain, at Stainless Gallery, New Delhi, India, Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF)- 2009 ‘I MISS PAKISTAN’, 2009, duration; 6min. Screened at: Sohni Dharti II, 2009 at Karachi Arts Council, Pakistan, Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF) 2009 ‘Mozart in Lahore’ , 2009, duration; 3min. Screened at: shortsnonstop.com 2009 ‘City Revenge’ , 2008, duration: 1min. Screened at: Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF), 2008 ‘Clifton to Saddar', 2006, duration: 1min. Screened at: ‘Monitor 3: Contemporary South Asian Film and Video’ 2007, at Innis Town Hall, Toronto, Pollution, 2007 at INTERart, aluCine -Toronto Latin Festival 2007, shortsnonstop.com 2007 ‘Gurriya’ , 2005, duration: 3min 8sec. Screened at: ‘Bollywood Chat’ presented by SAVAC at , Toronto 2005 ‘ID. Check’, 2003, duration 2 min. Exhibited at: ‘Bolly>Lolly>Holly>Tolly’ a SAVAC exhibition at Harborfront Center Toronto 2003 ‘It’s as simple as that’, 2001, duration: 12min Screened at: ‘Death…It’s Out There’ 2007, curated by Ulysses Castellanos at TPW Gallery Toronto

[Awards and Grants] 2017 Canada Council for the Arts, Project Grant 2014 Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance Grant 2011-2013 Co-funded, SSHRC Insight Development Grant for the project '+City' 2010 Ontario Arts Council, Access and Career development Grant 2009-08 Canada Council Travel grant 2007 ‘Into it!’ selected for Xmedia Lab, Singapore, themed Media aRt&D” 2007 ‘Zero Cluster- Deportation’ nomination at PopVox Awards, creative special effects category. 2007 Project Grant – Ontario Arts Council 2006-07 Research grant for ‘Into it!’ selected under the Artist as Innovators category by CulturAll, for research on kids with multiple disabilities. Grant partners; CFC Media Lab, Banff Centre, University of Toronto’s Adaptive Technology 2006 ‘Into it!’ presented for discussion at World Usability Day Conference, Toronto 2003 Scholarship for post-graduate studies at CFC Media Lab 1996 Best Performer of the year, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan 1994 Scholarship to participate in International Design Conference, Karachi, Pakistan 1995-93 Three gold medals for outstanding performances in puppetry by The Puppeteers NCA, Lahore, Pakistan [Affiliation] Mentor, IAEP Alumni mentorship for Interactive art and Entertainment program at CFC Media Lab Programming Committee member, SAVAC, South Asian Visual Artist Center, 2006-07, Member, INTERACCESS, Electronic Media Arts Centre, Alumni, CFC Habitat Lab.